Praying with Thanksgiving
By Sarah Walker
“The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”
Philippians 4:5b-6 (ESV)
Philippians 4:5b-6 (ESV)
When we pray, God instructs us to make our requests with thanksgiving. Think of your own prayer requests. How many times are you thanking God in them? Not just for what God will do in the future, but a heartfelt “thank you” for something that God has already done.
God certainly wants us to make requests to Him. Absolutely. He desires our friendship and wants to hear what is on our hearts - - unfiltered and unashamed. We are to be open and transparent with the God of the universe who created each and every one of us. The One who fully knows our every thought. See Psalm 139 for more on this awe-inspiring facet of our God. He already knows what is on our hearts; what we share is never a revelation to Him. However, He does desire our honesty and truth. He desires to have a deep relationship with us, and prayer is an integral part of that relationship.
It might be hard to find something for which to be grateful. And if so, ask the Lord to open your eyes. Perhaps we miss what is right in front of us, or we take for granted the everyday or commonplace ways that God shows up in our lives. Take, for example, how the sun rises every morning and sets every evening, thus giving us exactly the right conditions that we need in order to live on this planet. Sometimes just starting with one simple, even mundane, thing for which to be thankful helps shift our focus away from worry and problems.
When our focus is on God, we are more able to see that there is an abundance of things for which to thank Him. When my focus is on Him, I remember...how Jesus paid the price for my eternal life so that I can spend all of eternity with Him...how His Holy Spirit dwells in me and changes me...how God is making me more like Him as I continue to seek Him and walk in His ways.
Even if your gratitude starts out slow and hard, it is a practice that can be cultivated and learned. Don’t give up. There is always something for which we can be thankful - - especially if our eyes are focused on God.
God certainly wants us to make requests to Him. Absolutely. He desires our friendship and wants to hear what is on our hearts - - unfiltered and unashamed. We are to be open and transparent with the God of the universe who created each and every one of us. The One who fully knows our every thought. See Psalm 139 for more on this awe-inspiring facet of our God. He already knows what is on our hearts; what we share is never a revelation to Him. However, He does desire our honesty and truth. He desires to have a deep relationship with us, and prayer is an integral part of that relationship.
It might be hard to find something for which to be grateful. And if so, ask the Lord to open your eyes. Perhaps we miss what is right in front of us, or we take for granted the everyday or commonplace ways that God shows up in our lives. Take, for example, how the sun rises every morning and sets every evening, thus giving us exactly the right conditions that we need in order to live on this planet. Sometimes just starting with one simple, even mundane, thing for which to be thankful helps shift our focus away from worry and problems.
When our focus is on God, we are more able to see that there is an abundance of things for which to thank Him. When my focus is on Him, I remember...how Jesus paid the price for my eternal life so that I can spend all of eternity with Him...how His Holy Spirit dwells in me and changes me...how God is making me more like Him as I continue to seek Him and walk in His ways.
Even if your gratitude starts out slow and hard, it is a practice that can be cultivated and learned. Don’t give up. There is always something for which we can be thankful - - especially if our eyes are focused on God.
GOING DEEPER:
- What can you genuinely thank God for today?
- If you have a hard time being thankful, ask God to show you where you can be grateful, and then pay attention to what He reveals to you.
FURTHER READING:Psalm 139
Sarah is married to Scott and is a full-time mom to their two young sons. She and Scott are involved in a small group focused on prayer.
